DVLA Scam Text Messaging Catching Number Plate Customers

Fraudsters are attempting to scare drivers into revealing personal information.

The message, which even appears to have the gov.uk logo, reads: ‘FINAL REQUEST: ‘DVLA Swansea have been trying to contact you, Click below for more information.’

It is leading drivers to believe that they may be in trouble with the DVLA.

The DVLA has confirmed it doesn’t send texts or emails with links to websites asking for motorists to confirm their personal details or payment information.

The phony website may also include malware, a type of virus that lurks in your device to steal information, such as bank log-in details.

On social media website Twitter, many people have been tweeting about the tax refund scam. With one claiming the domain is registered in Panama.

The DVLA has said it is currently investigating.

A DVLA spokeswoman said: “We are aware that some members of the public are receiving emails and texts claiming to be from DVLA.

“Anyone getting these should delete the message and don’t click the link.”

Last summer, scammers were also targeting people in Swansea claiming to be from the DVLA.

Swansea Council Trading Standards said it had seen a rise in complaints from people in the city who had reported receiving the malicious phone calls, where the caller asks for credit card and personal details.

The DVLA had also revealed e-mails were sent to people last year, which had a link to a ‘secure web form’ that’s designed to collect personal information from unwitting recipients.

The correspondence targeting motorists says: “We would like to notify you that you have an outstanding vehicle tax refund of £239.35 from an overpayment, request a refund.”

The email includes the DVLA’s existing logo and fonts, which could dupe motorists into sharing their personal data.

MNLARS was supposed to replace the 30-year-old computer system that the Department of Vehicle Services used for handling drivers licenses and motor vehicle registrations. “When finished, it will be an efficient, secure Web-based system for driver’s license, identification card and vehicle registration and ownership transactions,” the DVS’ website proclaims.

When the car registration and title portion was rolled out this past summer, years past its deadline and nearly double its $48 million budget, it was, in automobile parlance, “a lemon.” It didn’t work well at all. It’s still not working that well. And this summer, the drivers license part of the system is supposed to start up.

Now, after dozens of statewide meetings, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety has developed a “Roadmap” for fixing and improving MNLARS. It includes things like “fixing bugs and glitches,” “stabilizing and optimizing system performance” and one we really like: “Adding functionality to MNLARS that existed in the old system” — that is, make it do what you could do on the 30-year-old system.

The cost for all this, the DPS says, is $43 million, nearly as much as the whole shebang was supposed to cost in the first place.

Insanity, in this case, might be defined as giving more money for MNLARS repairs to the people who overspent to develop this wretched mess in the first place. Given the cost, it might just be better to start over.

Advisor to Chief Minister Balochistan on Excise, Taxation and Transport Mir Abdul Karim urged all lawmakers including MNAs and MPAs to fix original vehicles numbers plates in pursuance of Balochistan High Court Decision.

According to handout issued here, he said that in this regard, Balochistan High Court had been strict warned that if anybody would fine in violation of the decision of Balochistan High Court so action would be taken against them.

The minister said members of national assembly (MNAs) of Pakistan, members provincial assembly (MPAs) of Balochistan should display their official plate numbers at vehicles which were allotted by official deportment, despite, displaying ministers and senators at plate numbers of vehicles.

He hoped that ministers, MPAs, MNAs and VIPs would act upon on the decision of Balochistan High court.

So what are the top selling number plates in the UK? The DVLA has been selling private plates to UK motorists since 1989. During this time, there have been a number of records set, but most of the top 10 have been bought in the past 15 years. Here’s what currently makes the list:

25 0 – A Ferrari dealer bought this for £518k in 2014. It is now on a £10 million Ferrari 250 SWB.
F 1 – A businessman, Afzal Khan, bought this for £440k in 2008 and put it on his McLaren-Mercedes SLR.
S 1 – This was bought in 2008 for £404k by an anonymous buyer.
1 D – Businessman Nabil Bishara bought this plate in 2009 (before One Direction was formed, so it is not a reference to the band) for £352k.
M 1 – Businessman Mike McCoomb bought this number plate in 2006 for £331k, apparently for his son, who was 10 at the time.
VIP 1 – Chelsea owner and businessman Roman Abramovich bought this plate for £285k in 2006.
51 NGH – This number plate, which looks like the surname Singh, was sold in 2006 for £254k.
1 RH – Businessman Robert Haverson bought this in 2006 for £247k.
K1 NGS – This reg plate, which looks like the word “kings”, was bought anonymously in 1993 for £231k.
1 0 – This very simple but striking number plate was bought anonymously in 2009 for £170k.

These are large amounts of money, but they are all small compared to the top-selling number plates found in other parts of the world. Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, has the record for the most expensive number plate ever sold. That number plate was a simple “1”. It was bought in 2008 by businessman Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri for £7.25 million.

number plates